System for assisting configuring a process control environment

• US 5,940,294 A
• Filed: 04/12/1996
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Dove, Andrew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US08/631,458
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 364/191, 364/188, 364/157, 364/165, 364/164, 364/163, 364/138, 364/139, 364/551.01, 364/551.02, 364/552, 395/161, 395/155, 395/156, 395/159, 395/160, 395/200.02, 395/200.01, 395/200.05, 395/200.1, 365/226, 365/189, 365/185.33, 365/218, 365/230.01, 365/94, 365/900, 371/20.1, 371/11.2, 371/29.5, 371/32, 235/150.1, 370/85.1, 345/965, 345/966, 345/967, 345/968
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24215 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A configuration assistant system is disclosed which guides a user through configuring a process control environment via a sequence of screen presentations. The configuration assistant system advantageously enables a process control designer or user to quickly and easily configure a process control environment. The screen presentations may be contained within a plurality of instructional sections to further assist the process control designer in configuring the process control environment.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a process control environment, the process control environment including a computer system having a processor coupled to a display device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of instructional sections, the instructional sections setting forth information relating to configuring a process control environment;

presenting, on the display device, a sequence of configuration screen presentations relating to the instruction sections;

guiding a user through the configuration of the process control environment via a question and answer session conducted via the sequence of configuration screen presentations, and

configuring the system based upon responses from the user to the question and answer session.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include an introduction instructional section, the introduction instructional section providing the user with introductory information relating to the configuration of the process control environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a controller instructional section, the controller instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring controllers within the process control environment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a controller hierarchy instructional section, the controller hierarchy section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a controller hierarchy within the process control environment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a workstation instructional section, the workstation instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a workstation within the process control environment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instructional sections are implemented using an object oriented framework.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the object oriented framework includes classes;

and

the instructional sections include classes derived from a set of commercially available foundation classes.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration of the process control environment is stored within a database, the database including information relating to the process control environment;

and

the database is continuously updated as the user is guided through the configuration process.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration of the process control environment is reflected within an explorer portion of the process control environment.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sequence of screen presentations has an order, the order being determined by the question and answer session.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the guiding the user includes presenting, on the display device, a configuration screen presentation including a textual question, wherein an answer to the question provided by the user determines which of the sequence of configuration screen presentations is presented next on the display device.

12. A system for configuring a process control environment, the system comprising:

a computer including a process coupled to a memory and a display device coupled to the processor;

a plurality of instructional sections stored in the memory, the instructional sections setting forth information relating to configuring the process control environment;

means for presenting, on the display device, a sequence of configuration screen presentations relating to the instruction sections;

means for guiding a user through the configuration of the process control environment via a question and answer session conducted via the sequence of configuration screen presentations, and

means for configuring the system based upon responses from the user to the question and answer session.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include an introduction instructional section, the introduction instructional section providing the user with introductory information relating to the configuration of the process control environment.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a controller instructional section, the controller instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring controllers within the process control environment.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a controller hierarchy instructional section, the controller hierarchy section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a controller hierarchy within the process control environment.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a workstation instructional section, the workstation instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a workstation within the process control environment.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the instructional sections are implemented in software.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the software is implemented using an object oriented framework.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the object oriented technology includes classes;

and

the instructional sections include classes derived from a set of commercially available foundation classes.

20. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a database including information relating to the process control environment;

and wherein the database is continuously updated as the user is guided through the configuration process.

21. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

an explorer portion coupled to the processor; and

wherein the configuration of the process control environment is reflected within the explorer portion of the process control environment.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the sequence of screen presentations has an order, the order being determined by the question and answer session.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein the means for guiding the user includes means for presenting, on the display device, a configuration screen presentation including a textual question, wherein an answer to the question provided by the user determines which of the sequence of configuration screen presentations is presented next on the display device.

24. An article of manufacture comprising:

a non-volatile memory;

a plurality of instructional sections stored in the non-volatile memory, the instructional section setting forth information relating to configuring a process control environment;

means for presenting, on a display device, a sequence of configuration screen presentations relating to the instruction sections, the means for presenting being stored in the non-volatile memory;

means for guiding a user through the configuration of the process control environment via a question and answer session conducted via the sequence of configuration screen presentations, the means for guiding being stored in the non-volatile memory, and

means for configuring the system based upon responses from the user to the question and answer session, the means for configuring being stored in the non-volatile memory.

25. The article of claim 24 wherein the sequence of screen presentations has an order, the order being determined by the question and answer session.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the means for guiding the user includes means for presenting, on the display device, a configuration screen presentation including a textual question, wherein an answer to the question provided by the user determines which of the sequence of configuration screen presentations is presented next on the display device.

27. A method of configuring a process control environment, the process control environment including a computer system having a processor coupled to a display device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of instructional sections, the instructional sections setting forth information relating to configuring a process control environment;

presenting, on the display device, a sequence of configuration screen presentations relating to the instruction sequence;

guiding a user through the configuration of the process control environment via the sequence of configuration screen presentations;

gathering information to configure the process control environment via a user dialog conducted via the sequence of screen presentations, and

configuring the system based upon responses from the user to the question and answer session.

28. A method for configuring a process control environment, the process control environment including a computer system having a processor coupled to a display device, the method comprising:

providing an object oriented framework, the object oriented framework including classes from a set of commercially available foundation classes and classes derived from a set of commercially available foundation classes;

providing a plurality of instructional sections, the providing the plurality of instructional sections including using at least one instructional section class derived from the set of commercially available foundation classes, the at least one instructional section class including information relating to configuring a process control environment;

presenting, on the display device, a sequence of configuration screen presentations relating to the instruction sections, the presenting including using at least one configuration screen presentation class derived from the set of commercially available foundation classes;

guiding a user through the configuration of the process control environment via the sequence of configuration screen presentations, and

configuring the system based upon responses from the user to the question and answer session.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include an introduction instructional section, the introduction instructional section providing the user with introductory information relating to the configuration of the process control environment, the providing the introduction instructional section including using an introduction instructional section class.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a controller instructional section, the controller instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring controllers within the process control environment, the providing the controller instructional section including using a controller instructional section class.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a controller hierarchy instructional section, the controller hierarchy section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a controller hierarchy within the process control environment, the providing the controller hierarchy instructional section including using a controller hierarchy instructional section class.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the plurality of instructional sections include a workstation instructional section, the workstation instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a workstation within the process control environment, the providing the workstation instructional section including using a workstation instructional section class.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the guiding the user through the configuration of the process control environment includes guiding the user via a question and answer session conducted via the sequence of configuration screen presentations.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein the configuration of the process control environment is stored within a database, the database including information relating to the process control environment;

and

the database is continuously updated as the user is guided through the configuration process.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein the configuration of the process control environment is reflected within an explorer portion of the process control environment.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein the at least one configuration screen presentation class is a dialog class.

37. A system for configuring a process control environment, the system comprising:

a computer system including a processor coupled to a memory and a display device coupled to the processor;

an object oriented framework stored in the memory, the object oriented framework including classes from a set of commercially available foundation classes and classes derived from the set of commercially available foundation classes, the object oriented framework including a plurality of instructional section classes derived from the set of commercially available foundation classes, the instructional section classes including information for providing a plurality of instructional sections setting forth information relating to configuring the process control environment;

means for presenting, on the display device, a sequence of configuration screen presentations relating to the instructional sections, the means for presenting using at least one configuration screen presentation class derived from the set of commercially available foundation classes;

means for guiding a user through the configuration of the process control environment via the sequence of configuration screen presentations, and

means for configuring the system based upon responses from the user to the question and answer session.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the plurality of instructional section classes include an introduction instructional section class, the introduction instructional section class including information for providing an introduction instructional section, the introduction instructional section providing the user with introductory information relating to the configuration of the process control environment.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the plurality of instructional section classes include a controller instructional section class, the controller instructional section class including information for providing a controller instructional section, the controller instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring controllers within the process control environment.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein the plurality of instructional section classes include a controller hierarchy instructional section class, the controller hierarchy section class including information for providing a controller hierarchy section, the controller hierarchy section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a controller hierarchy within the process control environment.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein the plurality of instructional section classes include a workstation instructional section class, the workstation instructional section class including information for providing a workstation instructional section, the workstation instructional section providing a sequence of screen presentations for guiding the user through the process of configuring a workstation within the process control environment.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein the instructional sections are implemented in software.

43. The system of claim 37 further comprising:

a database including information relating to the process control environment; and

wherein the database is continuously updated as the user is guided through the configuration process.

44. The system of claim 37 further comprising:

an explorer portion coupled to the processor; and

wherein the configuration of the process control environment is reflected within the explorer portion of the process control environment.

45. The system of claim 37 wherein the means for guiding the user through the configuration of the process control environment includes means for guiding the user via a question and answer session conducted via the sequence of configuration screen presentations.

46. The method of claim 37 wherein the at least one configuration screen presentation class is a dialog class.